North Korea willing to dismantle missile test site and allow in inspectors

Alfred Griffith

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced a sweeping set of agreements after their second day of talks in Pyongyang on Wednesday that included a promise by Kim to permanently dismantle the North's main nuclear complex if the United States (US) takes corresponding measures, the acceptance of worldwide inspectors to monitor the closing of a key missile test site and launch pad and a vow to work together to host the Summer Olympics in 2032.

The two leaders held one-on-one talks on the second day of their summit on Wednesday, aiming to announce steps to rekindle stalled negotiations on the North's nuclear programme and deepen bilateral ties.

"We have agreed to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace that is free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threat", Kim said as he stood by Moon's side at the guesthouse where Moon is staying.

"I think we should take these steps as very positive, but remember that North Korea is still taking baby steps", said Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes South Korean president Moon Jae-in and at North Korean citizens at Sunan International Airport, Pyongyang North Korea.

Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un during a welcome parade in Pyongyang, North Korea.

After a closed-door summit, the South's delegation, including top business executives and musicians, joined Kim and North Korean officials at Pyongyang Grand Theatre for an orchestral performance by the North's Samjiyon orchestra.

In Singapore, Kim declared his backing for the denuclearisation of the peninsula, but no details were agreed and Washington and Pyongyang have since sparred over what that means and how it will be achieved.

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The third is the internal economic decisions of the USA , which are leading to further strengthening of the dollar", he added. The Secretary added that the employee interests would be protected and brand equity preserved.

Kim and Moon share a toast during a welcome banquet in Pyongyang on Tuesday.

The two Koreas are also working to adopt a separate military accord aimed at defusing tensions and preventing armed clashes between the old foes, which are technically still at war because the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

The neighbors will gradually withdraw guard posts and equipment in a move to transform the world's most heavily fortified border into a no-weapons area, the agreement said. Kim at the same time also stressed Washington must reciprocate his initial "goodwill" gestures.

Moon insisted the North's agreement also marked the first time for the Koreas to discuss detailed steps to denuclearization.

Also, the countries will reopen their joint industrial park in the North's border town of Kaesong and tourism programs to the North's Mount Kumgang as soon as "conditions are met", the agreement said.

US officials involved in the latest negotiations have said North Korea has refused to even start discussions about defining denuclearization.

Trump said late Tuesday that news from this week's summit was "very exciting", although analysts said he had misconstrued Kim's pledges.

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